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Pioneering British firm produces 'petrol from air' in breakthrough that could solve energy crisis
The London Daily Mail ^ | October 20, 2012 | Damien Gayle

Posted on 10/20/2012 1:31:35 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

A British firm has produced the first 'petrol from air', it emerged today - in a pioneering scientific breakthrough that could end mankind's reliance on declining fossil fuels.

Air Fuel Synthesis in Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside, claims to have made five litres of petrol since August using a small refinery that synthesises the fuel from carbon dioxide and water vapour.

Experts have hailed the incredible breakthrough as a potential 'game-changer' in the battle against climate change and solution to the globe's escalating energy crisis.

While the company is still developing their process and still need to take electricity from the national grid, it believes it will eventually be possible to power the synthesis entirely from renewable sources.

Within two years it hopes to build a commercial-scale plant capable of making a ton of petrol a day and expand into producing green aviation fuel to make airline travel more eco-friendly.

The technology involves mixing air with sodium hydroxide, then electrolysing the resultant sodium carbonate to release pure carbon dioxide...

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: economy; energy; environment; gasoline; greenenergy; oil; petroleum; science
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1 posted on 10/20/2012 1:31:43 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I find it surprising that the non-critical thinking press doesn’t realize this has been done back in WWII.

This is fuel from air and electricity, lots of electricity.

It is cheaper to get the fuel from the ground.


2 posted on 10/20/2012 1:37:10 PM PDT by dila813
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

-—physics will win again-—


3 posted on 10/20/2012 1:37:56 PM PDT by rellimpank (--don't believe anything the media or government says about firearms or explosives--)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Libs are already busy figuring out how they can regulate it, as well as tax it.


4 posted on 10/20/2012 1:41:42 PM PDT by Leep (Forward! to serfdom)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“....end mankind’s reliance on declining fossil fuels.”

.
Declining fossil fuels — what liberal BS.

First of all we have 500 years of proven reserves in oil, gas and coal and almost every year new sources are discovered. Ever heard of the ocean of methane to be harvested from the ocean bottom?

The real question is — what does it cost in $/Btu to produce “petrol from air” or petrol from fossil fuel?


5 posted on 10/20/2012 1:44:06 PM PDT by 353FMG (The US Constitution is only as effective as those who enforce it.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Simple question: How much energy goes in, how much comes out? Another perpetual motion machine. And the winner again is,.. Entropy by a length!


6 posted on 10/20/2012 1:50:57 PM PDT by nomad
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To: 353FMG

I’m starting to believe in the anaerobic theory that the Russians have used, with some success, to find reserves. If that is wholly or even partially true, petroleum is just as renewable as corn or bamboo.


7 posted on 10/20/2012 1:51:20 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: dila813

Yep, another con job and we are not energy poor.


8 posted on 10/20/2012 1:51:23 PM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote; then find me a real conservative to vote for)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Not a bad idea for a country looking for energy independence, that does not have a lot of native fossil fuels. Build a bunch of Nukes, and you can make all the liquid fuel you need. Nice.


9 posted on 10/20/2012 1:53:52 PM PDT by Paradox (I want Obama defeated. Period.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; Rurudyne; steelyourfaith; Tolerance Sucks Rocks; xcamel; AdmSmith; ...

Thanks 2ndDivisionVet.
...claims to have made five litres of petrol since August using a small refinery that synthesises the fuel from carbon dioxide and water vapour.

10 posted on 10/20/2012 1:54:43 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

It seems quite plausible, at least for natural gas. I’m not at all convinced regarding oil. Then again, I’m just guessing.


11 posted on 10/20/2012 1:54:43 PM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: Paradox

Why not build the nuclear plants and run everything on the resulting elecricity? Wouldn’t that be “greener” abd much simpler?


12 posted on 10/20/2012 1:55:40 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Sure.

Today and today only, I’m selling carbon credits at 1/2 off. No checks.

If interested please email me your pin and account number.


13 posted on 10/20/2012 1:59:03 PM PDT by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: dila813

Is it an energy negative process, where you get gas but using more energy than it creates?


14 posted on 10/20/2012 2:05:09 PM PDT by tbw2
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

No, the question should be: how many $$ in production cost does it take to make a gallon of “petrol from air” vs. the production cost of making a gallon of petrol from fossil fuel?

Of course, the Btu value of one gallon of the “petrol from air” must be equal to the number of Btus in the gallon of “petrol from fossil fuel”.

One should also include in the equation that in order to make “petrol from air” the production process will have to use energy from fossil fuel.


15 posted on 10/20/2012 2:06:15 PM PDT by 353FMG (The US Constitution is only as effective as those who enforce it.)
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To: Leep

If it becomes cost effective, they’ll start protesting it.


16 posted on 10/20/2012 2:10:27 PM PDT by Eleutheria5 (End the occupation. Annex today.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Me too. No one has ever answered or hardly even brought up the question of how dinosaurs and prehistoric vegetation got 1,2,3,5+ miles down below the earth to create oil. The abiogenic theory make alot more sense.


17 posted on 10/20/2012 2:11:00 PM PDT by Free Vulcan (Election 2012 - America stands or falls. No more excuses. Get involved.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

What utter rot. Fuel oil could be made from the wings of house flies but so what?


18 posted on 10/20/2012 2:12:00 PM PDT by count-your-change (You don't have to be brilliant, not being stupid is enough.)
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To: dila813
This is fuel from air and electricity, lots of electricity.

That's where the E-CAT comes in !
19 posted on 10/20/2012 2:14:41 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics.)
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To: count-your-change

Thanks for driving the house fly wing market up. Millions of poor little flies walking around. The horror......the horror.


20 posted on 10/20/2012 2:17:37 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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